


Jimmy's Birthday Surprise

by EAU1636



Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Birthday Party, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25915846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EAU1636/pseuds/EAU1636
Summary: Strange's mum invites Jakes and Morse to his surprise birthday dinner.  It's dumb and fluffy.
Relationships: Endeavour Morse & Jim Strange, Peter Jakes & Endeavour Morse
Comments: 13
Kudos: 23





	Jimmy's Birthday Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Saw that it's Sean Rigby's birthday today, so wrote this nonsense to celebrate the most lovable character on the show.

Morse stood on the doorstep, bottle of wine in hand. He looked over at Jakes, who shrugged with a smirk, and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

The door was opened almost immediately by a plump, pleasant faced woman. Upon seeing the two silent young men on her doorstep, her shoulders scrunched up with excitement and she clapped her hands together.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here! Come in, come in!”

She quickly buslted them inside, gushing with the exuberance and animated sweetness of a children’s television program host.

“It’s so lovely to finally meet you boys! Jimmy has told me so much about you that I feel I know you both already.”

Jakes bit his lip to stifle a laugh.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Strange,” Morse said politely.

“Well I couldn’t have a surprise birthday dinner for Jimmy without inviting his best friends now could I?”

Morse pursed his mouth into a thin line, trying to picture the dead body he’d seen in the morgue earlier to squelch the laughter bubbling up and threatening to burst.

“Now, you must be Peter,” she said, turning to Jakes. “Jimmy’s told me what a dapper fellow you are and I can’t say he’s wrong. Quite a way with the ladies, have you? Naughty, naughty!” She prattled, wagging a finger at him.

Jakes’ eyes grew rather alarmingly wide, but he managed to smile and nod, sucking his cheeks in all the while.

She turned to Morse, “And you must be Morse, red hair and freckles, so Jimmy said, and eyes like saucers, haven’t you? I hear you’re a shy one,” she cooed, “Well, we’ll soon have you out of your shell. One big happy family we’ll all be by the end of the night!”

Mrs. Strange set them to work hanging streamers and decorations while she finished frosting the cake.

Nana, Strange’s ancient grandmother, sat watching their progress appraisingly from an armchair in the sitting room, making conversation between the two impossible.

The preparations finished, Mrs. Strange arranged Jakes and Morse in a kneeling position behind the sofa, hidden in wait for the guest of honor’s imminent arrival.

They did their best not to look at one another, the humiliation and urge to laugh too dangerous to share.

Soon the birthday boy arrived, trombone case in hand. After an ecstasy of hugs and kisses, Mrs. Strange placed a paper birthday hat on Strange’s head, gently positioning the elastic string under his chin. Then she ushered him into the sitting room.

On cue, as instructed, Morse and Jakes rose up from behind the back of the sofa.

“Surprise,” they managed to choke out, seeing Strange in his birthday hat.

Strange looked momentarily as though he hoped a bus might drive through the sitting room wall and flatten him, thereby ending his misery.

But Mrs. Strange soon had them all herded towards the dining room table.

The food was delicious, and there was enough for an army. Mrs. Strange regaled them with enough stories from “little Jimmy’s” childhood to ensure that Strange would never again encounter them at the pub without a good ribbing about the time he peed in the paddling pool or the tragedy of Mr. Wiggly, his treasured teddy bear, having his ears ripped off by the family dog.

After dinner, Mrs. Strange brought in an enormous chocolate cake, covered in a rainbow of hundreds and thousands and adorned with brightly burning candles. She led them all in singing Happy Birthday, and reminded Jimmy to make a wish before he blew them out.

Once they’d all had a slice of cake, the presents were presented. There was a new cookbook and apron from Strange’s mother and a hideously garish knitted scarf from his nana.

Then, his mother brought in three more identically wrapped gifts. She set one in front of Strange and then handed one each to Jakes and Morse.

All three of their faces showed the same stark terror and dread.

“Go ahead!” Mrs. Strange encouraged, “Open them! All together now!”

They dutifully removed the wrapping and opened the boxes. Inside each was a burgundy and navy diamond patterned jumper vest.

“Go on, hold them up!”

The three held up the matching vests, careful to keep their eyes on the table and away from one another.

“Oooh!” Mrs. Strange squealed, “You’ll be such a sight, the three of you, like peas in a pod! Now I want to see you in them so I can snap a picture! You can pull them right over the shirts you have on.”

How the three of them managed to pose together for that photograph without laughing or crying they never knew, but they plastered on smiles as commanded, and the evidence was later framed and sent to Strange to display in his flat.

“We should probably be going mum,” Strange said once they’d survived the ordeal. “Work in the morning.”

“Now, you know I’m not letting you go without you giving us one of your little concerts! Why, the boys have probably never even heard you play!”

And so,they all gathered around in the sitting room as Strange played his trombone, while his mother fairly burst with pride.

Mrs. Strange loaded them up with hugs and leftovers as the three men made their way out the door.

As the door closed behind them, Jakes and Morse looked over at Strange.

“I’m burning this jumper,” Jakes said, “The minute I get home.”

“That was a rousing concert Jimmy,” Morse grinned, “It’s just a shame Mr. Wiggly couldn’t hear it, not having any ears.”

Jakes and Morse finally cracked, laughing so hard they nearly had the same fate as little Jimmy in the paddling pool.


End file.
